INEC receives 9,261 applications in Cross River

The Independent National Electoral Commission in Cross River State has registered 9,261 eligible voters online as of Monday July 19, while physical registration will begin on Monday July 26.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Emmanuel Hart, disclosed this on Thursday at the state headquarters of the commission in Calabar.

Speaking during the demonstration of the upcoming physical registration of voters in the presence of service commanders in the state, Hart said, “The online system has proven to be widely acceptable and user friendly and already yielding results, as a total of 752,011 Nigerians have registered online nationwide in the three weeks of resumption, out of which 9,261 enrolled in Cross River State (Record as at Monday, July 19).”

He said the physical registration was shifted from July 19 to July 26 due to the Eid-el-Kabir public holiday, and that three machines have been dedicated to each local government area and seven at the state office.

According to him, the physical registration will take place at INEC state headquarters and the 18 local government headquarters in the state, adding that “It is the civic responsibility of every eligible voter to register. Let the public know that we are for them. If they have any challenge they should come to the headquarters.”

Hart said 123 registration officers had been appointed for the exercise, adding that “The continuous registration exercise will end in the third quarter of 2022 to enable the commission to prepare adequately for the 2023 elections.”

Speaking on behalf of the service commanders, the Chairman of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and the state Commissioner of Police, Sikiru Akande said, “The fact that we (service commanders) are here shows that this process (registration) will be hitch-free security-wise.”